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Her Match was trapped in a purple energy bubble. It was some kind of cage. Isaacs told her that Vandal had access to weapons that hadn’t even been invented yet. Since Randa had never seen anything like the force field before, she had to assume it was from the future.

Randa was far removed from the political maneuverings of the Council. She had never met Vandal. …But she was suddenly the man’s most ardent enemy. Whatever Vandal wanted, it was sure to be the exact opposite of what Randa was after. That was obvious, since he’d hurt her Match. She would do everything possible to help bring him down.

Maybe something in this memory would help her accomplish that. Kahn wasn’t fully unconscious. He was aware enough to witness this moment and for his brain to retain it, but he certainly wasn’t awake either. If the memory-sharing brought her here though, it had to be important.

“Kahn?” Randa vainly tried to rouse him, but he couldn’t hear her. His eyes were only half-opened, so even if she had really been there and not just reliving what had already happened, he probably wouldn’t have been able to respond. She kept trying anyway. “Kahn, sweetie, you have to wake up. Please!”

He didn’t move.

Damn it! Her Match was trapped, and she was helpless to save him.

Randa’s mouth thinned in fury. Bounding to her feet, she went striding towards Vandal, although she wasn’t sure what she planned to do. This moment was already past. And even if she could’ve somehow interacted with the memory, Vandal would’ve just laughed at her efforts to physically stop him.

The former general was huge.

Bigger than Kahn and hardly anyone was bigger than Kahn. He wore a formal white robe with blood staining the front. He’d clearly been in a fight. One of his eyes was injured and the other one reminded Randa of a shark. There was no white around the edges. Just a pool of frozen ebony, narrowed in annoyance, as he spoke into some kind of electronic device. It didn’t look like a typical phone, but it seemed to work like one. Was it from the future, too?

“I have done everything I was sent to do.” He snapped into the device, his accent old and cultured. “The Magnet Queen will come for her cousin, and then we will have the proper translation from the ruin.”

Ruin?

Randa glanced towards the circle of stones, off to the left. The rocks were covered in deeply carved writing that she couldn’t decipher. Ancient Light Phases must have erected the strange monument, but she had no idea why. She doubted anyone did, considering how old it looked. Why did Vandal want Mara to translate it?

“No, she’s not dead! Try to keep up, you imbecile. This is our chance to learn more about the gate.”

If the person on the other end of the line was surprised that Mara was alive, this must’ve happened a few months ago.

“We have recruits from all over the realm.” Vandal promised whoever he was talking to. “Everything is falling into place. I’ve even taken Kahn’s sketches from his home.” He gave the papers in his opposite hand a shake. “We can use those to build our own versions of his weaponry.”

Oh, dear. Kahn really wouldn’t like that.

Randa edged closer to Vandal, although he made her skin crawl. Craning her neck, she tried to understand the notes he’d stolen, so she could tell Kahn. They looked like schematics to her, but not for weapons.

Judging by the drawings, they were for mechanical ballerinas. Dolls that danced and moved to music. Vandal must’ve stolen old designs Kahn had made for his sisters’ toys.

Yeah… Kahn really, really wouldn’t like that.

“The question is: What have you done to further the Dark King’s cause?” Vandal persisted. “What have you done to usher in his glorious rule, besides play your little masquerade?”

Who was Vandal talking to?

Tilting her head and standing on tiptoe, she tried to listen into the other side of the call. The man was loud enough that some of the words registered in Kahn’s memory. Droning complaints and a lot of “how dare anyone question my commitment to the Dark King?” posturing. Something about the guy’s tone seemed familiar, but she didn’t recognize the voice…

A sound came from behind her.

Randa whipped around just in time to see Kahn waking up. He was alright!

Relief filled her, even though this was a memory so obviously he’d survived it just fine. Logic did nothing to suppress her elation, as he got to his feet. Her Match looked pissed and he was still trapped, but she knew he’d quickly get out of that force field. Nothing could keep a barbarian caged for long.

Kahn would be okay! And since this was a recent memory, and memory sharings were typically chronological, she would soon be snapping out of this strange experience. She’d be back in the real world with actual-Kahn. She could see for herself that he’d suffered no ill effects from Vandal knocking him out and…

Wait.

Randa’s thoughts skidded to a halt, as something horrible occurred to her.

If she was inside Kahn’s memories… Didn’t that mean he was in hers?

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